Session 9/21

Page 2/10 How to identify an attachment pattern – an experimental method developed by Mary Ainsworth

Video about attachment: John Bowlby

At a very early age, children develop certain strategies in order to form attachment with their caregivers. These strategies are called attachment patterns and can be divided into 4 categories: Secure, avoidant, ambivalent and disorganised. In this video you will see how researchers observe various interactions between children and adults, and how the children’s various reactions to separation show which attachment pattern they have formed with their caregiver. The first example given in the video shows a secure child’s reaction to separation. The second example shows a child with an avoidant strategy. The third example shows a child with an ambivalent strategy. For ethical reasons, there are no recordings of children in a disorganised state.

This video can be found on the website johnbowlby.com or on YouTube